


blood moon

by aleusha



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fantasy, Gore, M/M, Stuff, Werecat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 11:47:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18964615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleusha/pseuds/aleusha
Summary: where things go bump in the night and hungry eyes graze over. its gaze heavy as it trails over your body like thick honey pouring over smooth flesh.





	1. Chapter 1

hiding in plain sight

The group is together in the abandoned city streets, looking around in shock at the bizarre sound that seems to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at all. Yugi grips to Jous arm in desperation for safety, he holds rather tightly to to his small friend refusing to allow whatever is stalking them to have his friend. Honda has hands folded into tight fists raised at the ready, his back arched as he looks around seeing nothing but fallen leaves twirling along in a passing breeze.

They shouldn't have stayed out so late, they should have listened to Atem when he said he felt something was amiss this night, it worried him that the moon was bloody red. But Honda and Jou where so positive that whatever the city had to hold against them they could handle. In the distance something lands with a soft thump, a sound similar to that of a pillow hitting the floor.

All three of them jerk to the left as a man shaped creature steps on all fours outward toward them. It looks smaller than it is as it slinks forward from between to tall slate gray skyscrapers. As it walks forward to them it quickly becomes apparent, it's hungry. It has a slit like mouth thin almost non existent lips behind which can be seen uneven long narrow discolored needle like teeth. Colorless empty eyes gawk at them, Jou glares back terrified but not about to let the thing win and hurt his dear ones.

As he glares at the tall thing with its gnarled joints and stiff fibrous muscles stretching underneath its sallow almost translucent skin. It raises one hand out ward that reminds Jounouchi of a dead tree with gnarled twisted roots arcing upward to the sky.

Jou grips yugi stepping out in front of him, some how perfectly aware that running away is not an option. It cocks it head to the side looking almost curiously at them, the corners of its mouth raise upward into an impossible smile that causes hiroto hondas stomach to turn cold. They all pause at the rhythmic sound that looms nearer, after a moment they watch colorless eyes go wide as it mouth turns into an ugly grimace.

'thup thup thup'

The sound of unhurried footfalls comes nearer, the creature begins to back away. What is it that scares this thing, its body shifts weight, going from a prowling pose to one far more defensive. Its long sharp arms curl in at its sides, bizarre hands are opened wide causing its fingers to look something akin to rusted meat hooks. Jou arcs an eyebrow as the thing begins to back away, an attempt to return to the alley which it came from.

Honda refuses to let loose the sigh of relief as it dashes away, the footsteps stop. They are replaced by the sound of a horrid screaming yowl, which is accompanied by a thunderous crash and then silence.

A low moaning is heard, the sound spikes as a snapping crunching noise floats out from the alley. Something scrambling about, was it trying to get away? Jou grabs yugi in one arm and yanks honda out of the line of fire as the thing that threatened them earlier is pitched out of the darkness like a tattered rag doll. Neither honda nor yugi find themselves able to pry their eyes away from the crumpled body bleeding and gurgling just a few feet away, Jou however stares forward into the alley as their 'rescuer' resumes his unhurried walk.

'thup thup thup'

Jounouchi finds his breath caught in his throat as a tall slim figure steps out of the shadows. Following the sound, the other two turn to look at the figure that walks toward them, looking rather bored and only mildly interested.

"kaiba?"

He looks at them with his sharp blue eyes, one hand tucked in his pocket the other hanging at his side, dripping a thick syrupy rust colored fluid. Hearing his name called he turns his face only slightly, his neon blues focusing on Jounouchi.

"yes..."

A long scream echoes from the distance, kaiba closes his eyes and tilts his head to the side as he listens to the guttural sound. As it ends his eyes snap open, he stares at them with slight worry.

"follow"

He walks briskly along the streets, continually glancing over his broad shoulder at them. Yugi huffs and wheezes trying to keep up with their long legs and brisk pace. It seems useless as they keep going faster, until Jou grabs yugi and throws him over shoulder breaking into a run at the same time kaiba does. Honda keeps pace well enough, the sound repeats itself and Jou sees panic on kaibas face when he glances backward past them.

Shit.

He moves fast jerks left easily jumping a rather tall fence and landing with ease, Jou rolls off his shoulder into his arms shouting at kaiba.

"CATCH!"

He throws yugi who shrieks as he finds himself flailing in the air before landing with a loud huff into kaibas long strong arms. Jou and honda jump the hurdle with practiced ease, landing with heavy thumps. Yugi is bodily shoved back into Jou who grips him like a child before tailing kaiba who runs along a long forgotten river, long since dead. They follow it until kaiba locates a large cement pipe, filled with the sound and smell of distant saltwater. Their feet land loudly against the cement,all but kaibas, which makes following him difficult since their isn't much light.

However he is made visible every time he glances backward, looking at them with his luminescent eyes. They're dilated accommodating the weak light, night vision. Kaiba can see in the dark. This skill is not a shared one, however jou has something neither yugi nor honda has, and while he will not divulge what it is he will use it to guide the trio. One arm wrapped around yugi the other hand gripping onto hondas sleeve, jou stays close to kaibas back.

A few moments later kaiba emerges from the other end of the tunnel, standing knee deep in saltwater and sand. He steps to the side waiting a moment for the others, he quickly resumes when he sees them step into the cool water. This time kaiba moves in less of a hurry as he walks along the beach, feeling a bit safer, Jou lets yugi down but still grips his hand as if leading a child.

After a moment kaiba stops and waits for them past the beach at the roadside, his arms crossed over his chest in a familiar way. Moonlight guides them down the black road until they find themselves approaching an upper class neighborhood. Each house spaced apart by miles of lawns gardens and rows of blossoming fruit trees. Each one was passed by until they found a single massive manor guarded by a massive marble wall, at the center of this wall was a spiraling iron gate. A splendor to look at, the gate that guarded the kaiba estate was a work of art.

The masterpiece left the trio behind him in awe, kaiba however barely seemed to notice it as pressed his hand against a touch pad beside the gate. The gate yawned for them in silence so as not to irritate the master of the house, kaiba who hated the sound of old metal screeching at him. It shut just as silently as it opened, honda blinked as he looked forward realizing they had only made it to the driveway. He wondered how long the path to the door was, and continued to do so until yugi found himself too tired to continue walking- not for lack of trying. Yugi slumped over riding piggyback on jou who for some reason barely seemed winded by the long journey. After three miles of trudging along in awkward silence they found kaiba standing beside a large set of dark wood double doors. Much like the gate the door was a wonder, another mans masterpiece. Sadly there was not a moment to give it any attention, as they stepped inside and looked about the entry way.

Kaiba turned to look at the three of them before stating as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

" you will be spending the night here."

Before it had a chance to register as thought the question tumbled out of Hondas mouth

" what why!?"

Before kaiba could make to respond jou opened his mouth, effectively closing hondas.

" you really think that was the only one? You wanna walk all the way across town in the dark... when there could be more of those things out there?"

"..."

Honda stared at jou then back at the door, more specifically the lock.

"guest rooms are this way."


	2. Chapter 2

and somehow it makes sense

They where escorted past the dimly lit foyer and through a long hallway with dimly lit hallways with cream colored walls laden of people the trio does not recognize. Jounouchi wonders to himself if kaiba has even met the people adorning his walls, kaiba turns right down another hallway. This hallway is different, as time was crueler here than anywhere else, the walls a bit darker than those previous, aside from the outlines of rectangles where portraits once where. The light of this hallway is a crisp clean white, exaggerating the age gap between the house and its inhabitants. This does not go unnoticed, yugi shudders at the image the perfect light brings out of the place. Strange, the sterile light seeming to search the place for every flaw, preventing its faults from hiding... especially when the walk past the first heavy dark door. Honda glances down ward and sees singe marks peeking out from beneath the door, looking at the brass handle he notes, its a replacement... and the strange marks in the door as if it was kicked in and cheaply repaired.

Yugi stares at the door as they pass it, his lingering gaze does not go unnoticed, kaiba despite what he feels does not speak. Kaiba stops beside a much smoother cleaner door, with the word 'victorian' on a small brass plaque at the center of it. He looks at them for a moment before reaching over and closing his long fingered hand around the cool silver metal of the embellished handle, seemingly made to fit his hand. They can hear the old tumblers churn beneath the surface finishing a heavy 'click'. He pushes the door open, extending his arm outward into the room, inviting them in.

" would you like to share a room or sleep separately. "

He watches their eyes go wide and their jaws drop at the Victorian elegance of the room. The lower portion of the wall is wood paneled, matching the floor, the roll top writing desk beside the vast window with pastel blue curtains drawn shut. The needlessly carved dresser and wardrobe, the strange fireplace on the far end of the room. What seems to be most appealing to the lot of them is the door that shouldn't lead to anywhere, Jou pushes it open and discovers a large and rather fanciful bathroom with an oversized tub. Yugi smiles as he lets his fingertips trail over the silk coverlets of the canopy bed. He looks to kaiba with his wide amber eyes, that never fail to unnerve kaiba.

" wow, you're really going to let us sleep here?"

" indeed."

honda quirks an eyebrow skeptically at kaiba

"but why?"

" just because I dislike you does not mean I wish you dead, off bothering someone else... but not dead. I do despite popular belief actually have a heart."

yugi lets a wide smile cross his face.

" so you are human after all."

kaibas eyes rest on yugi for only a moment before he places his hand back on the door handle.

" I never said that."

The door shuts with the heavy click of the tumbler falling in place. The three of them simply gawk at the door from their various places around the ornate room. Yugi climbs onto the tall bed, letting out a nervous laugh to fill the silence, hondas shocked stare morphs into a frightened glare.

"what the fuck did he mean by that?"

Jou turns away and pulls open the curtains he leans against the window sill staring out at the night sky glittering with stars. Just as honda begins pacing nervously, a soft firm knock raps at the door. Silence for a minute, maybe two the knock is heard again. Yugi half shouts at the door.

"who is it?"

"Asuka, a maid of the kaiba house "

" umm. Okay er come in?"

The heavy door reveals a slight woman, short and slender in her black pencil dress kitten heels and completed with a white apron. Pale brown almost blonde hair, dark brown eyes, her small hands covered by the pile of guest clothing she carries.

" the master said to bring you theses clothes, in case you wished to wash. If you would like I can draw you a bath."

Jou looks at her with a light smile, honda reaches over to take the clothes from her, she keeps her face down avoiding eye contact. Hondas voice seems lost as he looks at the most undeniably sweet woman, so jou speaks in his place.

" thanks but I'm pretty sure we can work the shower by our selves and tell kaibs thanks for us okay"

she bows deeply to them before asking

" dinner will be served in one hour, will you attend or do you wish it to brought to your room?"

yugi just about bonces in place

" we'll go! But um, could you come get us cause I don't even remember how to get to the front door."

she bows again, before responding

" of course, I would not dream of doing otherwise."

she raises herself into a standing position and look rather eagerly at the lot of them.

" if your wish for something do not hesitate to ask, I am here to be of whatever assistance you may need!"

She walks over to the bed , opens the drawer to the bedside table and reveals a small crystal bell.

"if you find yourself in need, simply ring this bell and I will be here."

jou pipes up

"about the bath, where are the towels?"

" there right here in this..."

she walks to the wardrobe removing a black towel, and squeezing it gently between her fingers. A frown crosses her gentle features.

"well this wont do at all, these have lost their fluff."

she quickly snatches the remaining towels and heads for the door.

" I will return in just a moment with fresh towels."

She backs out the door giving a slight bow before she shuts it with its familiar click. Yugi looks over to both honda and jou who pick through the neatly folded stack of clothes Asuka brought them. Jou holds up the one of shirts, solid black with silver buttons down the front and on the cuffs. He notes the small size and pitches it to yugi, honda hands a larger size to Jou, laying its twin over his shoulder before handing out the matching pants. Its just then that Asukas small knock raps at the door, jou strolls over and lets her in. She holds a stack of fluffy towels and soft robes in her small hands, she giggles when Jou reaches over to take them from her, he smirks when he notices that his hands grazed over hers.

Again she bows at them

" please do not hesitate to call me if you need something, I will return for you when dinner is ready"

~ across the manor~

Kaiba sinks into the heated water filled with dissolved salts, he sprawls out in the tub he had custom made to accommodate his height. His face sinks beneath the surface and he listens to the nothingness, his favorite part of water is that it blocks the sounds of daily life so wonderfully. All he can hear is his heart beating loudly in his ears, he enjoys hearing himself relax as his heart slows to a more steady rhythm. The sensation of too much adrenaline finally dissipating, allowing his muscles come undone. Before his lungs begin to burn he raises his face from the water, smiling at the image of mokuba staring at him from his place on the edge of the tub.

" yessss?"

mokuba snickers at the way his brother seems to drawl slightly when he relaxes.

" I don't get whats so special about hot water, why do you like it so much?"

" I suggest you take a cold shower before asking that again. What is it you wanted?"

" the maids are in a frenzy, do we have company tonight?"

" indeed."

" who is it ?"

" go take bathe, dress yourself for dinner and find out then."

mokuba puff up his cheeks and gives his poutiest glare before rolling his eyes and sighing.

" you're no fun nii sama "

kaiba simply smirks as he sinks back beneath the surface.

~ in the victorian~

Yugi smiles as he exits the bathroom finding his previous clothes washed dried and pressed clean, he looks to the others who are already wearing their pjs as their own own clothes are being washed at the moment, Jou settling to only wear the pants.


	3. Chapter 3

table talk

Two steaming hot showers later Asuka leads the trio down and through and around the maze that is the kaiba home, until she holds open a dark wood door revealing a clean white room with a vaulted ceiling. In the room they find the kaiba brother sitting across from each other at a long narrow cherry wood dining table, set with porcelain china and gleaming silver cutlery. Mokuba wears a long sleeve blue shirt and his usual jeans, across from him kaiba wears a slightly faded black v neck shirt with sleeves that stop at his elbows, his customary black pants seeming a bit longer with his knee high leather boots. Jou seems to be the only one to notice the fact that kaiba is currently wearing common house slippers, and mokuba is wearing only gray socks.

At the sound of the door opening mokuba eyes snap in the following direction, causing a monumental smile to plaster itself on his face.

" JOUNOUCHI! Come sit next to me!"

Mokuba hops out of his own chair to pull out the one next to him, Jou snickers at his excitement.

"you bet kiddo!"

Yugi pulls up a chair next to Kaiba and Honda beside Jou. Immediately as they are settled Mokuba begins to babble asking question after question, his eyes going from one person to the next. When he finally stops to breathe his eyes are focused on his brother, who answer's with his hands folded neatly in front of him and his elbows off the edge of the table.

" there was an incident and I didn't want them to walk through town tonight."

Honda arcs an eyebrow at the vague and rather lame answer.

" nii sama, can't you get in trouble for bringing them here after an attack? It's against the rules..."

" indeed... I suppose I'll deal with that later"

" what rules? And what was that thing? What did you do to it?"

Yugi asks as he stares at kaibas profile. Kaiba sighs heavily debating on how to answer.

" I am not permitted to answer most of that... but do not worry, the creature is dead."

Yugi honda and Jou stare in shock and mild horror at kaiba, mokuba glances to the door he knows leads to the kitchen before asking

" another one? Who was it this time?"

Kaiba looks back at his brother, inwardly smiling at the nonchalant way he talks of the situation.

" I didn't stop to look, I am not positive he was alone."

This seems to catch mokubas attention. Honda thinks to just a few hours earlier and bizarre scream he heard.

" what was that weird scream... after everything happened?"

mokuba looked to honda with a surprisingly firm stare, before closing his eyes in thought and resuming forward position.

" honda... every one really... nii sama can't answer your questions... I shouldn't either. If nii sama does any more for you tonight... he could get in some terrible trouble-"

"fuck that crap I wanna know what the hell is going on!"

honda slams his clenched fists against the table, jarring its settings out of place. Kaiba sneers setting his cold stare on honda.

" I like my head where it is alright! YOU are not worth it rolling on the damn ground, I did more than I should have already so take it or take off!"

his glare jumps over to set on jounouchi

" aren't you going to yell at me now?"

jous expression is thoughtful for a moment, he drums his fingers on the edge of the table as he chooses what to say. He looks at kaiba and forgets his plan of action, deciding to wing it as usual.

" well, I wanna know whats up... but I also know what happens when talk you weren't supposed to-"

He rubs the back of his head, rubbing an old scar with his calloused fingertips as he talks.

" that can get pretty brutal. So I figure if we really needed to know, life or death kinda needed, you'd tell us. You're gonna say you wouldn't but I know you would cause you already stuck your neck out this far. So as much as I wanna scream and yell... I wont. How mad can I be really? You saved our ass and your even letting us hole up for the night. That can't be good for you."

kaiba finds himself stunned, the fury he felt earlier gone and replaced with the foreign feeling of being understood.

Dinner is silent, only the sound of silverware clinking against the plates fills the room. In the silence yugi catches jou glancing at kaiba from the corner of his eye, a small gesture but a strange one. Difficult to catch if one is not looking for it, and yugi knowing Jou as well as he does, is perfectly aware of how to read, better so than even honda could. After dinner Asuka returns to escort them back to their rooms, the walk as well is silent, guilt and anger radiate off honda in waves. Jou is oblivious only because his mind id elsewhere completely so yugi winds up feeling really quite alone at the moment he finds that he is surrounded by his friends. Thankfully he can look inward to a friend that is always open to him. Atem.

The mental conversation ends with atem informing yugi that he finds himself in agreement with Jounouchi. They are safe here in the kaiba estate, although he does find himself curious as to why it is that Jou could read that much from kaiba, as he is customarily inept at reading someone so stoic. He never did go into any details about jous past only that it was unpleasant and filled with unsavory people. It came to be that he met a few people from Jounouchis past, but individual moments in it where never talked of. Was it that Jou didn't want to talk about it or had no one cared to ask?

It is Atem that looks over yugis shoulder to the distant expression on Jous face, it is Atem who finds himself feeling weighted with guilt and ungratefulness. Yes he speaks of gratitude often, but looking backward finds that it is always yugi who talks to Jou, comforts him should he need it and sits with him when there is nothing to be said. It is yugi that has been a rock to Jounouchi, in comparison Atem feels kind of like a bright pebble at the bottom of a fish tank. Interesting to look at but overall rather useless.

Asuka opens their door, wishes them a good night and much rest before bowing backing out and shutting the door. Yugi takes his pajamas to the bathroom to change, Jou and honda turn away from each other to give themselves the semblance of privacy. After teeth are brushed and yawns are passed about the three of them climb into the unusually large bed.


	4. Chapter 4

midnight stroll

After almost an hour of staring at the place where the canopies seams converge in a sharp point, jous head rolls sideways, he stares at the door. Slipping out from the bed unnoticed is simple task as both yugi and honda are exhausted the bizarreness of the day, Atem however looks over to Jou just as his hand sets down on the handle.

" the bathroom is behind the other door jounouchi."

atem listens closely and only hears a soft chuckle from jou, he turns the handle and makes to leave, despite being caught.

" where are you going jounouchi?"

" I gotta talk to kaibs..."

" its late you know, he will be sleeping by now."

" nah, he's awake."

"how do you know that?"

Perhaps it is simply the lighting, but when jou turns to face atem his expression is dark and riddled with irritation. He does not often look at atem directly in the eye, but this time atem finds himself fighting the urge to avert his gaze.

" I know."

It is hardly an answer in any sense of the word, but Jou opens the door and shuts it silently behind him. A task Asuka had not managed once all day, the door is heavy the locks are old, it seems normal that one should not be able to silence it. Atem stares at the door, he wonder if he should permit yugis body its much needed rest or if he should follow Jounouchi. He makes a move to lift the covers and finds soreness in yugis hands and legs, a lingering pain that rolls through his small body. Rest is needed, he lays himself down and returns to his place in the puzzle.

Jou does not find himself lost, he moves swiftly through the shadows, he cannot see in the dark but he can navigate in the dark rather well. Especially given his destination. He walks back to the entry way and pauses looking about the place, the feint odor of a familiar cologne lingers here. He follows the almost unnoticeable scent down a hallway he didn't know was there up a spiral staircase, down a long hallway. At the end of this hallway a sliver of light pours out from beneath the door, he walks over and reaches to knock. A voice stops him

" come in."

His hand shifts from the upper center of the door down to the curled handle, he grips the cool metal pushes down then in. The door is silent. Pastel blue walls, they look like a breeze feels, the carpet is a thick plush black. Upward, there is no ceiling, just a vast window with a wondrous view of glittering stars and rolling clouds. Across the room an arced canopy bed sits all laden with silk and velvet in many shades of blue, accented with black and silver. No light fixtures to be seen anywhere, but somehow there is light. Beside the bed long drapes billow lightly in a passing breeze, Jou walks over to find the open window and finds kaiba laying on his back on the sloped roof.

Out the window is a familiar exit to him, so he slips out the window and sits down cross legged beside kaiba. They don't speak for a while, just sit together watching the stony clouds roll by, until they part and reveal a bloody red moon. He hears kaibas breath catch in his throat, he looks over and sees him with hands still pillowed behind his head, but his eyes are clenched shut. His brow is furrowed as if he is somehow upset at the moon or the sky or perhaps just life in general.

" you, alright?"

"yes..."

His eyes open but averted from the now revealed moon, he pushes himself upright and watches as an owl flies off in the distance. He looks over to Jounouchi for a moment before walking back to the window and stepping in, followed by his company.

Kaiba looks at jou, finally taking not of the fact that he's only wearing the lower portion his sleepwear. He walks around the large bed to the red oak dresser set, opening the bottom drawer he plucks out a white t shirt and loose fitting pajama pants. Jou politely stares out the window, leaning against the frame as he listens to the sound of soft cloth sliding over softer flesh. A moment later something clicks shut and Kaiba says rather blandly.

" I still cannot answer your questions."

Jou turns around to look at kaiba, he gives a smirk.

" who says that's why I'm here"

kaiba sits on the edge of his bed, twisting his trunk to look at jounouchi rather skeptically.

"you have a tendency to be rather persistent."

jou sits on the floor, as he doesn't feel like standing anymore.

" can be, but I actually came cause I couldn't sleep."

"what made you think I would still be awake?"

" you got yourself in deep shit, now your too nervous to sleep."

Silence pervades the room, kaiba stares at jou with a hooded gaze curious of his thought process. The silence stretches on but kaibas mind is anything but still, all the gears turning frantically unsure of what to do with the situation.

" don't flip. I just been there ya know."

"hmmph"

" yea yea, I know."

" you know what!?"

Kaiba snarls finding himself rather irritated at how unperturbed Jou is by all of it.

" I can't know, cause I'm not where you are... or what you are and yours is way worse than whatever I might have been with.. is that right."

kaiba huffs loudly and flops over onto his bed, rustling the sheer curtains of his canopy.

"oh shut it."

"..."

jou stands on his knees, placing his arms over the edge of bed. Peeking over his forearms he watches kaiba pout for a moment in silence before grumbling.

"well?"

"...?"

" have you any wisdom to offer..."

" you never fucked up before have you?"

" do you or don't you?"

"yea."

" …"

" just don't lie."

kaiba rolls onto his stomach to look at Jous head perched on edge of his bed, he stares at him willing him to spontaneously combust. It sadly does not work.

"really? That's it?"

" if you lie, they wont believe you, if you tell the truth, they wont believe you. They're paranoid as all bloody hell and you know it. They'll treat every word out of your mouth like an attempt to get rid of them. I'd rather get caught telling the truth than otherwise."

kaiba stares at jou and wonders if his knees hurt on the floor, doubtful as the carpet really is quite soft.

"... you don't have to sit on the floor."


End file.
